What If
by Prototron MJ Tornada
Summary: What if things were different for Humanity?


Disclaimer: I no own Halo. I however own the following: Jessica, Vala, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Kachann Vadum, Rachel (Spartan 911), Sparka and her numerous creations, Techna Logeecul, Gremlin, Rising Sun, and Rebirth. If any names sound familiar it is mere coincidence. (Last three are A.I.'s) I know that most Sangheili technology came from the Covenant but since I like them I am going to make the tech the Sangheili's. A note: Rtas and Arbiter A.K.A. Thel are twins. Another note: "Talking", (Twin Mind link), Over Coms, _Thinking_.

Has anybody but me wondered what would have happened if the Sangheili did not try to wipe out Humanity? What if the Sangheili were never part of the Covenant? Instead they were allied with us? Now we will know.

At some point in time before the war...

The Sangheili Admiral Narj Vadum rubbed his eyes and sank back in his chair. He then grabbed the letter off the desk in front of him and read it again. "Admiral Vadum we are sorry to say your son Rtas Vadum was able to pass the entrance exam to the Sangheili Naval Academy but he was unable to follow the restrictions. He was sent home and we ask you that he will be sent to a correctional facility. We are horrified that we had to send this message to you and wish to apologize".

The Sangheili Naval Academy.

Narj sighed as he reflected back on his son's history of getting in to trouble. Unlike Rtas' twin brother Thel who was now being trained to become the next Arbiter Rtas always tried to get into trouble. The water tower in the capital, the Banshee fiasco, the robbery that Rtas participated in. Narj sighed again. He had to do something about Rtas.

Five years later...

Satr snarled at his opponent across the ally. Similar in height, size, and weight his opponent would be difficult to defeat. Satr snarl turned into a nightmare version of a smile. Then the fight began. And then it was over. Satr straightened and let go of the cloth covered knife hilt that was deep in the body of a Shipmaster. Satr didn't know the Shipmaster's name and it didn't matter to him either. All that he needed to know was that the Shipmaster was somebody that had to be eliminated for the Anti-Alien Society, A group of radicals that believed that Aliens should be killed, and Satr was their chosen favorite when it came to assassinations.

Mean while...

Thel sighed as he went through the autopsy report on the death of a high ranking Special Operations officer. Ever since Thel became the Arbiter life seemed like one report after another. Thel leaned back, closed his eyes and reached for his twin.

The Anti-Alien Society headquarters...

Satr stalked toward his employer Covj Nahum. "Why did you call me"? Satr hissed at Covj. "Easy Satr Mudav. A simple assassination is needed for a particular official Thel Vadum the new Arbiter. He supports the movement to search for Aliens to form alliances with and we can not have that now can we"? Satr head snapped up and said in a voice that sounded distant. "No". Satr turned and began his journey to the Arbiter's dwelling.

At the Arbiter's house...

Thel reclined in his chair with his and Rtas' favorite book. Then the door banged open. "Hello "Satr" how are you doing"? Thel said with out taking his gaze from the book. Satr crossed the room and stood in front of Thel. "Thel! I was ordered to kill you and your sitting there as if you don't have a care in the world! I should kill you for being an idiot"! Thel smile at Satr. "But you wouldn't harm your own flesh and blood would you"? Satr fell back into a chair behind him. "I should kill those Antis for being idiots too". Thel blinked in surprise. "They never realized that Satr Mudav is Rtas Vadum spelled backward"? Rtas smirked. "No they didn't. But Thel you give them to much credit. After all you were the one to come up with the idea for planting a fake assassin in their ranks so we quit losing so many valuable politicians". Thel held up a single finger. "Ah but who managed to pull off my scheme? I believe it was you my dear Rtas. So the credit belongs not with I or my enemies but with you". Rtas frowned. "Why did you just quote our favorite book? Never mind I don't want to know why. But I am sorry that I did not get here sooner when you called me". (It's ok Rtas I know that it takes a long time when you have to doge insane Antis). If anyone had been around to watch them they would have noticed Thel tensing like a coiled spring and then Rtas visibly relaxing closely followed by Thel the result of their twin mind link in use.

In another place in the galaxy on a planet named Reach...

"Children! Our secret weapon is six year old kids"! The ONI agent screamed. Dr. Halsey blinked "What is wrong with children? They are the best at adapting to the stresses that the SPARTAN project is plagued with and therefore the most logical choice". The agent touched his head. "If this is the only way then I guess I have no choice but to give you my blessing on this project".

Back on Sangheilos...

(So you're saying that nobody besides our dad knows that we are twins is that what I am hearing Thel?) Thel didn't need to look at Rtas to know that he was in disbelief. (Rtas. That is the most carefully guarded secret in all of Sangheilos. Of course nobody knows because if they did they would just capture one of us and torture that one and the feed back to his twin will be like torturing both of us do you understand now?) In the hall outside of the conference room that Thel was in Rtas face palmed. (So I can't give you your birthday present?) Inside the room Thel almost flinched. (Uh Rtas? I forgot about our birthday. I so sorry I didn't get you anything!) Rtas smirked. (That's just fine. I know what you can get me. I want to be an Admiral like dad do you think that you can get me into the Navy?) Thel stifled a smile. _I know the perfect thing_.

Twenty years later on Earth...

Spartan 117 also known as the Master Chief waited patiently for his target to emerge from the complex. He tensed as he saw the door swing open and his quarry step out into the open. The Insurgent leader walk only three steps and then a sniper bullet took his life. Chief turned and jumped off the top of the fourteen story building. He hit the ground about five seconds later and took of running. His breath caught as he realized that his get away ship was quarantined by a platoon of soldiers. _I am not having a good day. First my target refused to come out into the open so I could shoot him, then I damaged my shields when I jumped from the building, and NOW my ship is quarantined. Well at leased it can't get any worse_. Chief slowed down to a walk, slowly and painfully he slipped around the soldiers. When he finally reached his ship he breathed a sigh of relief and then came the tricky part. The Insurgents jumped in surprise as the UNSC Longsword Fighter power on and took off. As the soldiers stood there staring after the ship one of them made an observation. "Well at leased we don't have to argue about who gets the ship". Chief slumped into the ship's pilot chair and for the first time since he got into the Longsword he breathed. Suddenly he found himself staring at a massive cruiser of an unknown design seemingly suspended in space. Suddenly a shot surged past him from behind.

On board the space cruiser...

Rtas stood staring at the planet that hung in from to of him when he noticed that small blot seemed to move toward his ship The Relentless Defender when it spun to avoid an attack from behind. Rtas narrowed his eyes and then issued an order that was to change the future of his race and the future of a race called humanity. "Lock on to the ship that is being attacked and bring it in". The response was immediate. "Yes sir Shipmaster"!

In the Longsword's cockpit...

Chief! Are you ok? Chief smiled. Good to hear from you Cortana. I was worried that the electro blast did something to you. Cortana mentally rolled her eyes. You are too protective did you know that Chief? Chief smirked. Yes I am aware of that and that is why they chose me to be your protector. Cortana looked through Chief's helmet. Hey Chief did you know that we are being pulled toward that ship? Chief nodded in affirmation. Yes I am aware of that also and I am trying not to freak out. They trained me in every form of combat but they never taught me to negotiate! Then the bay doors opened up like a giant mouth and swallowed the ship.

On the bridge on the Relentless Defender...

Rtas sighed in relief as the bay doors closed behind the small fighter craft. He rubbed the mandible stubs on the left side of his face that he received from an Anti's knife. _At leased the pilot is safe now. I wonder what I should do now. I'm not the diplomat. Thel is._ (Is something wrong Rtas?) Rtas instantly relaxed as he savored his twin's voice in his mind. (Yes there is something wrong Thel. I found an Alien today trying to escape with is life and now it's on board The Relentless Defender and I have no idea what to do.) Far away on Sangheilos Thel's eyes widened. (You are a liar Rtas). Back on board The Relentless Defender Rtas stifled a snarled. (No I am not Thel!) Thel suddenly found that he was having trouble breathing because of his excitement. (Can you bring it here please? Please? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?) Rtas rolled his eyes. (Of course Thel I'll bring it.)

In the hanger bay of The Relentless Defender...

Master Chief took a slow breath. Cortana what did UNSC say I should do? Cortana took a synthetic breath. They said what ever you do don't send a message that you are hostile. Chief whacked his head on the control panel. "Oh boy". Just then Rtas entered the hanger. Hey Cortana I think that their commander just arrived. Chief act cool and don't screw up ok? Chief sighed. Cortana if I screw up then I will be the cause of a war then an Alien race. (Authors note: For the sake of the story the Sangheili can speak English) Chief took a massive breath and stepped out of the Longsword to face the Alien leader. Rtas took a deep breath. "Hello I'm named Rtas Vadum. Um this is my ship The Relentless Defender. So who are you"? Chief instantly realized that the Alien leader Rtas Vadum was just as scared about messing this up as he was and it made him relaxed. "I am Spartan 117 Master Chief and this is my A.I. Cortana". Chief said extending his hand and activated the holopad built into his gauntlet. Cortana flickered into existence. "Greeting Rtas Vadum". She said with an animated salute. Rtas blinked in surprise. "Uh my commanding officer would like you to come to his office so negotiations can be made and maybe a peace treaty. If you guys want to that is". Chief hidden gaze found Rtas' eyes. "We have orders to do whatever is necessary to prevent war with your race so I guess we're going with you". Rtas let out a silent sigh of relief. "Do you want me to show you to your rooms"? Cortana waved her hand. "Don't bother with us Captain you are probably very busy and us arriving is not making your paperwork any less". Rtas smiled at the free time he now had to talk with his twin. "Alright. Kachann Vadum show them to their rooms. And Cortana? What is a Captain"? Cortana instantly pulled the description out of her data base. "A Captain commands a ship". Rtas instantly made the connection. "Oh a Captain is the rank equivalent of a Shipmaster"! Kachann stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Will you just follow me"? Kachann said with a hint of rebellion in his voice. Suddenly Rtas slap Kachann on the back of his head. "Kachann Vadum! No son of mine is going to be disrespectful do you under stand"? Kachann lowered his head so his father couldn't see the tears that were threatening to flow. "Yes sir". Then he left the hanger with Chief and Cortana in tow behind him.

A few days later at Sangheilos...

"Sir will you please hold still so we may finish polishing the armor"? Thel nearly screamed. (Are you ok Thel? You sound agitated at somebody) Thel couldn't hold on much longer so he lashed out at his twin. (Since when did you start using big words! I hope that saying agitated didn't strain you puny brain!) Thel then did something that neither twin has done since they were tiny children. Thel blocked Rtas from his mind. He didn't even leave the link open; he severed it with a savagery that he never had displayed to anyone else but his twin and only then it was never directed at Rtas. Elsewhere Rtas almost screamed in pain when Thel lashed out at him. But as it was he couldn't stop his face from wincing at the very thought of his twin being angry at him. Immediately after Thel had severed the link a final message that had been sent by Rtas reached him. (I have a son.) Thel went still much to the joy of his attendants as he processed the last thing that he was going to hear from Rtas until they could reestablish their link. _A son. Rtas has a son. I am an uncle I wonder when he found out. Wait a minuet! If he's a daddy then that means he's married! When was he going to tell me this! And how come I wasn't invited to my own twin's wedding! _Thel was still thinking on this line of thought when it was time to meet the Aliens.As Thel walked into the room he saw a Sangheili that looked about sixteen that was the very image of Rtas when he was younger. Thel eyes narrowed as he realized the implication of that resemblance. Kachann snapped to attention as The Arbiter stalked over to him as if Kachann had done something wrong. "Sir"! Kachann snapped out with the military style that his Father had taught him. Thel's eyes took on a slight murderous gleam as he instantly recognized the way the young Sangheili snapped out the word just like Rtas always did when he was speaking to their Father Narj. "Ensign just who is your Father"? Kachann blinked in confusion. What did his Father have to do with anything? "Shipmaster Rtas Vadum Sir. I am his son Kachann Vadum". Thel saw red. _He is dead. Rtas is going to die a very painful and slow death. I don't even know what kind of death he is going to die right now but it isn't going to be very fun._ Just then the doors on the far end of the room opened to admit the Aliens... Who were accompanied by Rtas. Thel jerked around to some other Sangheili. "Leave right now and that is an order". Rtas took a deep breath and walked up to Thel. "Sir I would like to prese...". THWACK! Rtas jerked in surprise and pain as Thel slap him across the face. "How could you Rtas"! Rtas' fist suddenly came up and connected with Thel jaw. "What is wrong with you! You were the one that said we can't have any contact with each other"! "Well when you get married and have a kid you should at leased mention it"! "Well which is it? Are we twins or are we strangers"! Then Thel jumped on Rtas and started to try to strangle him. Suddenly a voice from the past snapped an order in a tone that neither twin would dare to question. "Rtas! Thel! Break and center"! Both twins instantly stopped fighting and faced their Father. Narj glanced at his sons. "Thel open the mind link now". Thel complied and then both twins instantly relaxed. "Now will somebody tell me what is **wrong **with you two"! Master Chief stepped up. "Sir apparently Rtas was married and had a son with out Thel knowing and it made Thel upset". Narj sighed. "Thel you said that nether of you should have contact with each other and that included things like weddings and kids". Thel jerked his head up. "Yes but for me not to know for fifteen years is something I think is ridiculous". Rtas glared at Thel. "You know what I think is ridiculous? That you walked in here slapped me and then tried to kill in front of the Aliens"! Thel blinked and jerked his head toward Chief. "Oh. They are here". Chief felt a familiar tingle in his left arm and extended his hand to activate the holopad. Cortana's avatar sprain into existence and placed her holographic hands on her projected hips. "Yes we are here and we are not impressed that you attacked your twin". "I think that the way Thel went for Rtas' jugular vein was particularly smooth and professional". Chief disagreed. "Chief, you shouldn't encourage this kind of behavior. It isn't very diplomatic". Cortana said sternly. "I'm not encouraging the behavior I was just saying"... Narj, Thel, and Rtas slipped out of the room and left the Aliens to argue. As the door slid shut Narj turned around to face his identical twin sons. Thel couldn't meet his father's gaze just as he never could growing up, on the other hand Rtas immediately locked eyes with his Father and was ready to fight it out. "Well do you wonder why I was called in? Because you two were so loud about half of your attendants heard, **Thel**, and the subject had an open com on him so your entire ship heard, **Rtas**! May I ask what brought this on"! Thel kept his eyes down, however Rtas straitened his back and immediately did as he always done. "It was my fault Father! I neglected to inform Thel about my marriage, the death of my wife in childbirth, and my son. If anyone is to blame for this it is me"! Narj's eyes widened as he relized that since their childhood Rtas has been covering for Thel by taking the blame for little mishaps, and not so little mishaps. Inside the room Kachann was chattering excitedly on his com. "Hey guys! I have an uncle! And guess what guess what guess what! He is the Arbiter! Isn't that awesome or what"!

Two years later at a poker game...

Rtas glared at his wimpy shrunken opponent, The Prophet of Restraint, across the table from him. The Prophet glared back at him. Both knew the stakes were beyond high with an artifact call Halo and Rtas' ship hanging in the balance. Rtas glanced at his hand and stopped himself from smiling; one eyed Jacks and Jokers were wild and he had three Aces, a Joker, and a one eyed Jack in his hand. Restraint laid down his hand. "Ha! Full house! I believe I win"! Rtas smiled a very predatory smile and laid down his hand. "I wouldn't be so quick to claim victory Prophet. I have five Aces". As the assembled crowd gasped at Rtas' hand the winner stood up. "I would hate to leave now but I need to get back to my ship and take my son to see this Halo I am giving to him".

On board The Relentless Defender...

The hallways of The Relentless Defender echoed with Kachann's voice as he searched for his friends. "Rachel, Jessica, Vala, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Techna, and Sparka! Where are you"! The mentioned individuals were part of an amazing organization called the Gremlin Squad; they had a reputation for completely destroying The Insurgents plans. Rachel 911, a young Spartan who had been frozen for two years making her sixteen instead of eighteen, was what the crew call Kachann's "girlfriend". As she leaned around the corner and ran up to Kachann, pulled her helmet off and kissed him on the side of Kachann's face. "Rachel! Dad said not to do that in public"! Rachel smirked and jerked Kachann around and kissed him on the Sangheili version of lips. "He also told me to not done this too but he isn't here". Just then Rtas walked down the hall. "Kachann, out of all the girls you could date, why did you pick the nutcase"? Kachann tried to pull away Rachel only to have her wrap her arms around him and kissed him again. "Well I guess I know one of the people that you are taking with you". Kachann looked at his Father in confusion. "What are you talking about"? Rtas suddenly looked nervous. "If you don't tell your uncle then I won't tell him". Kachann sighed. "You won what ever it was in a card game didn't you"? Rtas nodded. "I am giving you something called "Halo". Do you want to see it"?

On board the Covent city High Charity...

Restraint snarled at his fellow Hierarchs the Prophet of Tolerance and the Prophetess of Obligations. "I don't care what you guys say! That guy was cheating! I don't know how and I don't when! All that I know is that he seemed telepathic when ever he needed to be"! The Prophetess smiled at him. "Did the Sangheili go home with any one in particular? Like was there any one that was always where he could always see your cards"? Restraint thought for a while. "Yes there was another Sangheili there. He was wearing ancient looking armor". Obligations smiled. "Sangheili twins are capable of a mind to mind link. The one you played against had his twin there to look at your cards and relay what they are to him". Restraint's eyes widened. "The other Sangheili! If you chop of his left mandibles he would look just like the one I was playing against"! Tolerance nodded gravely. "We should go secure Halo to keep it safe". "And crush the Heretic"!

On board The Relentless Defender...

(You are dead Rtas Vadum.) Rtas flinched at his twin's voice. (Why do you say that? You were the one that suggested it Thel Vadum.) (So? You shouldn't have done it.) (Well either way I am taking Kachann and the Gremlins with me want to come?) (Sure.) Later the group crammed into Rtas' privet space ship and left The Relentless Defender. Thel managed to talk Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson into coming with them. After a very cramped and long ride, as well as discovering that The Relentless Defender's A.I. Rising Sun snuck along and the other A.I.'s came along too, they finally got to the strange place called Halo. "Hey cool! Halo is a ring world of some kind"! As they drifted closer to Halo the Spartans exchanged a glance with each other their thoughts running along similar lines. _A world that belongs to Kachann, maybe he would let the Spartans stay there to escape the "decommissioning" that waits us after the war_. Sitting almost hip to shoulder with Chief was Rachel deep in her own thoughts. _A ring world, the perfect hide away for Kachann and me, it would be like Adam and Eve there... Only the others would be there too_. Kachann had caught the two Spartans hopeful expressions, but both looks had a slight touch of fear in it. _What is up with them, I wonder?_


End file.
